_

2014 – 2017

STRATEGIC PLAN

OF THE SPANISH

AGENCY FOR

COOPERATION - AECID

_

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD 3

1. CONTEXT, PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES 4

2. MISSION, VISION AND STRUCTURE 7

3. STRATEGIC GUIDELINES 8

4. IMPLEMENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP 15

5. RESOURCES 16

6. RISK FACTORS 17

7. RESULTS FRAMEWORK 18

3

FOREWORD

The IV Spanish Cooperation Director Plan 2013-2016 is the document providing the planning

framework for the period, and is also a key instrument for the system to effectively and

efficiently face internal and external challenges.

As the main executing body within the system, the Spanish Agency for International

Development Cooperation (AECID) has a significant responsibility in attaining the targets of the

Director Plan. With this aim, in 2013 the Agency launched an internal process to create its first

Strategic Plan, which was the basis for the draft of the II Management Contract, approved by

the Governing Council on 26 March 2014.

The Strategic Plan (SP) of AECID 2014-2017 – core of the II Management Contract currently in

the negotiation stage with the Ministry for Finances and Public Administrations – is of key

importance for the organisation for two main reasons:

Firstly, it is a pivotal tool to achieve the embodiment of a true planning culture guiding the

actions of AECID towards common and shared targets and measuring the organisation’s

performance.

It is supported by the prior experience of the I Management Contract and the lessons learned.

This precedent taught us that steps were required to improve planning skills at the institution,

and this motivated moves like the creation of the Unit for Planning, Effectiveness and Quality of

Aid (UPEC) within the Management Office; the delivery of related training at the headquarters

and also on the field; the launch of partial planning exercises for country operational

programming, the drafting of Sector Action Plans, and the participation in creating Country

Association Frameworks.

The second reason concerns the contents, given that what this SP entails is embarking on a

strategy change process at the Agency for forthcoming years. The current context on a national

and international scale calls for the redesign of the model of Spanish cooperation and, in

particular, the model of future agency. A new vision of AECID adjusted to a context changes is

required, with the additional goal of improving effectiveness and efficiency in the management

of public funds. To this end, the Plan shall assist us in gaining discernment and clarity to ensure

that all means and resources of the organisation are placed at the service of the achievement of

the Plan’s targets.

A final note is that this document is the result of a process of several months of work involving

both the Management Committee and representatives from the various units of the Agency at

the headquarters and on the field, who carried out this task as an ad hoc Working Group. The

UPEC Unit designed and coordinated the process and further created the implementation and

follow-up tools.

Gonzalo Robles, AECID Vice-Chairman

4

1. CONTEXT, PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES

1.1 External Context

The international scenario has witnessed significant changes in recent years and shall continue

to experience transformation in the future. The most relevant trends for organisations like

AECID are the following:

Growth of the number of countries with average incomes which are home to most of

the world’s poor (a new poverty map);

Many countries in the South are growing at higher rates than OECD countries, leading

these nations to greater prosperity, but also bringing new challenges like inequality,

environmental deterioration and stability;

The emergence of new powers is intensifying the need for new global governance

methods;

Private flows already exceed official development aid, reducing its weight in the

funding of development and creating opportunities and challenges to increase

involvement of the private sector in cooperation efforts;

Many challenges require global or regional solutions, including climate change,

macroeconomic imbalances, insecurity, organised crime, etc.;

A final highlight is the constant progress of new technologies as a general contextual

element with an impact on various aspects of aid management.

These topics have been discussed at a series of international forums and processes (including,

among others, the Forum on Aid Effectiveness at Busan, the Rio+20 Conference, the discussion

on post-2015 MDGs, the European Union’s Agenda for Change, etc.) leading most member

countries of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee to launch reforms to foster

transformation, adjusting their organisational structures to better face new challenges. The

common feature linking all these reforms is the determination to increase the focus of efforts,

boosting effectiveness by limiting territories, sectors and topics.

This approach can also be found in the IV Director Plan 2013-2016 for Spanish Cooperation,

containing the framework of guidelines of this Strategic Plan (SP).

5

Lastly, we cannot be insensitive to the setting in which this Plan is being drafted and

implemented: a scenario with a financial crisis and the containment of public spending

involving substantial budgetary cuts; undeniably, the way forward is combining the

effectiveness agenda and a pursuit of greater efficiency. In this context, the priorities on the

agenda are seeking increased social support for development policies through the

achievement of results, improvements in organisational transparency, and accountability

based on reaching targets.

1.2 Progress since the I Management Contract

The first Management Contract (ICG) was a premier strategic planning exercise for the Agency

and therefore an opportunity to implement a single vision and set common goals; at the same

time, its purpose was to generate experiences that could be relied on by the organisation to

increase the quality of the current Contract, which is now a multi-annual document. Since the

ICG was approved, significant changes have been witnessed at AECID and these are discussed

below.

Firstly, measures have been set in motion to implement the aid effectiveness agenda within the

organisation, and this is corollary to an improvement in the Agency’s planning capabilities with

the launch of the Operational Programming process, the participation in the creation of Country

Partnership Frameworks (CPF) and Strategic Frameworks (SF) with some international

organisations and the production of Sector Action Plans (SAP). The organisation has

further upgraded its abilities in this area with the formal creation of the Working Group for

Effectiveness and Quality of Aid (WGEQ).

A second step ahead is found in the strengthening of the structure of AECID to adjust to new

challenges. Structures have been created to incorporate transversal topics and foster an

integrated vision at the organisation, including the Directorate for Multilateral, Horizontal and

Financial Cooperation or the Unit for Planning, Effectiveness and Quality of the Technical Office

of the Director of AECID. In this area, the creation of the Department of the Office of

FONPRODE and Financial Cooperation within the Directorate for Multilateral, Horizontal and

Financial Cooperation is the consequence of a need for better integration of refundable

financial cooperation at the Agency.

Another stride ahead, that is highly relevant for the future of AECID, was its accreditation with

the EU to be tasked with delegated management of cooperation actions of this body. This has

opened up a new route to foster a method of cooperation scarcely used at AECID to date, of

great significance, as it allows the extension of the joint work horizon with the EU, additionally

leading the way to extra revenue generation.

A final highlight is the emerging learning culture at AECID, with the launch of some diagnosis

and assessment processes to promote awareness on strong and weak points of the

organisation, providing input also used to draft this document.

6

1.3 Main future challenges

As provided in the most recent report of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the

OECD (Peer Review) for Spain in 2011 and its recent follow-up report (Mid-Term Review),

there are still many challenges outstanding for AECID in relation to the rollout of the

effectiveness agenda. On the one hand, this agenda involves a three-fold institutional challenge:

decentralisation, development of the capabilities of human resources and improvement of

processes and procedures. Meanwhile, adjustments to the method of intervention are required,

handing over the leadership to partner countries within a necessary framework of coordination

of donors and focusing actions on the achievement of development results, bringing the

comparative advantages of AECID to the fore.

In general terms, the main challenges lying ahead in the time framework defined by the SP are

the following:

- Common goals shared by the entire organisation, constantly reinforcing internal

coordination and at the same time making headway in greater decentralisation of

management processes;

- Ensuring that actions of the Agency are result-oriented, based on evidence and lessons

learned in decision taking;

- Focusing attention on less countries and reducing the dispersion of indirect

implementation stakeholders (national and international organisations), and also the

excessive fragmentation of programmes;

- Enhancing strategic relations with cooperation stakeholders, fostering complementarity

and taking greater advantage of the potential and the resources they offer;

- Increasing the degree of transparency and accountability, based on an appropriate

communication policy, informing and promoting awareness of citizens, and also

centring on the improvement of accountability mechanisms in respect of the Spanish

public and partner countries;

- Boosting the capacities of the organisation to generate additional revenue on top of the

allocation of the General State Budget;

- Consolidating the leadership which AECID, as the primary organisation in Spanish

Cooperation management, should have in the Spanish system, fulfilling the guidelines

set out in the IV Director Plan with the utmost effectiveness and efficiency.

We also note here that the Agency, in addition to managing its own budget arising out of the

transfer made by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), also manages a substantial

amount of the budget of SECIPI for cooperation, specifically the Cooperation Fund for Water

and Sanitation (FCAS) (approved by additional provision sixty-one of Law 51/2007 and by

Royal Decree 822/2008 and Royal Decree 1460/2009), and the Fund for Promotion of

Development (FONPRODE, approved by Law 36/2010, of 22 October, and its

implementation regulations enacted through Royal Decree 845/2011).

7

The management of these funds involves a series of challenges for the organisation:

The appropriate integration of the funds in the processes and systems of the Agency and in

country programmes.

The creation of suitable capabilities to manage both of the sources of funds stated, given

the volume of funds managed and their complexity and, additionally, in the case of

FONPRODE, because it incorporates financial instruments that are new to the organisation.

2. MISSION, VISION AND STRUCTURE

Mission of the Agency. The mission of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation

(hereinafter, AECID or the Agency) consists of fostering, managing and implementing public

international cooperation for development policies, targeted at combating poverty and

achieving sustainable human development in developing countries, according to the rules

provided in additional provision three of Law 20/2006, o f 18 July, on State Agencies for the

improvement of public services (hereinafter, the Agencies Law), and in Article 1.2 of the Statute

of the Agency, approved by Royal Decree 1403/2007, of 26 October (hereinafter, the Statute).

Vision of the Agency. AECID, as the leading management body of Spanish Cooperation, wishes

to be recognised for its contribution:

- To reach development results favouring the reduction of poverty, increasing social

cohesion and equal rights of people in the partner countries;

- To guarantee the access to and protection of essential rights of populations that are

victims of humanitarian crises; and

- To build a society aware of the importance of development.

To attain this vision, AECID’s goal is to work with defined and focused programmes built with

each partner country, generating alliances incorporating the capacities and resources offered

by other stakeholders. It concentrates on a limited amount of countries in three priority

regions (with special attention to middle-income countries in Latin America, North Africa and

the Near East and low income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa), where it can achieve greater

effects and impact. Programmes are defined with a particular focus on knowledge exchange,

institutional strengthening and the dialogue of policies to benefit development and, in the

particular case of low income countries, to foster the transfer of financial resources with a

pragmatic approach.

AECID intends to be an organisation centred cohesively around shared targets and common

approaches, with motivated and qualified people to attain these goals; an organisation learning

from experiences and taking decisions on the basis of evidence and rigorous criteria; a

transparent organisation which is accountable to citizens and partner countries.

8

Structure. The Plan is structured around eight strategic guidelines (SG) outlining the

horizon of the main changes to be completed by the organisation in forthcoming years. For each

strategic guideline, a series of management results are defined, providing specific details on the

main contributing achievements and the most relevant indicators, whose follow-up will allow the

measurement of the Agency’s performance (results matrix).

3. STRATEGIC GUIDELINES

SG1: Concentrating AECID’s actions to improve its effectiveness

This spearheads the recommendations included in DAC’s most recent report, and becomes a

matter of urgency in a scenario conditioned by public spending control. AECID’s actions must be

more focalised, with a reduction of the number of countries in which it operates, and a review

of cooperation strategies in partner countries to enhance effectiveness. The following

management results are encompassed in this guideline:

- Restructuring our external operations, reducing the number of partner countries

where AECID works, consistent with the IV Director Plan.

- An exit strategy for countries where AECID is ceasing its activities, with a decreasing

amount of budgetary allocations and measures to follow-up and terminate

interventions underway, in addition to providing indications on the progress of the

structure of AECID on the field.

- Defining less fragmented programmes, targeted at the achievement of a reduced

amount of development results.

- In the Humanitarian Action (HA) arena, actions shall mostly be directed at succeeding in

effective contributions aligned with humanitarian principles, to cover basic needs in

contexts affected by humanitarian crises, paying special attention to the

following sectors: Food and nutritional security; Water, sanitation and hygiene;

Health and Protection of vulnerable groups. HA shall concentrate on regions where

Spanish Cooperation has accrued greater humanitarian experience and shall be

implemented via partners specialising in these issues.

SG2: Designing and implementing differentiated action strategies, with

greater quality and impact

Actions of AECID must adjust better to the features of each country, their needs and their

context, and this should lead to the availability of differentiated country programmes, in

connection with their development targets and additionally with sectors and instruments.

9

These new strategies shall be specified on the basis of results agreed with the partner country

and set out in the Association Frameworks of the 23 Association Countries of the IV Director

Plan.

Meanwhile, in high-income countries and middle-to-high income countries in Latin America,

the collaboration framework for forthcoming years requires redefinition incorporating the

view of extended horizontal relationships, knowledge exchange and the fostering of

international public assets and including reimbursable cooperation instruments.

Additionally, AECID’s country actions should be placed in a strategic framework with a larger

scope, based on the preparation of documents including regional and sector-based guidelines,

identifying outstanding challenges and positioning AECID in its contribution to their

achievement and also creating a distribution scheme of AECID Official Development Aid (ODA)

with a regional and country breakdown. In particular, a cooperation strategy shall be created

with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), focusing on the contribution

to its regional integration processes.

Over this period, we expect to strengthen dialogue and support of public policies in member

countries with the purpose of improving the relevance and effectiveness of AECID actions.

Furthermore, work will be done with civil society organisations of partner countries given their

role as key stakeholders in the demand of greater social cohesion and institutional quality. This

shall have a reflection on planning processes of the Agency and on operational aspects, with the

use of methods to contribute to these targets.

To reinforce the targets outlined, the following measures will be required:

- Extending and improving the use of the various existing cooperation methods to fortify

effectiveness in the achievement of results, always seeking greater complementarity

among all cooperation instruments. Particularly relevant is the fuller integration of

reimbursable cooperation with the remaining methods and processes of AECID.

- Reinforcement – in line with the IV Director Plan – the use of methods clearly focusing

on greater effectiveness (with the support of the leadership by the partner country,

support of local policies, channelling of the above via national systems and in

coordination with other donors), and attempting, insofar as possible, to attain a

framework of all instruments within the system of programme-based aid.

- Responding to new demands, accomplishing associations with various stakeholders

through methods and instruments such as triangular cooperation, delegated

cooperation, reimbursable cooperation and alliances with the private sector, inter alia.

- Considering the use of reimbursable instruments in the redesign of action strategies in

those countries with debt capacity but high levels of inequality.

- Improving the use of the methods of delegated cooperation, blending, triangular and

technical cooperation systematising lessons learned, with the purpose of incorporating

improvements in practice and generating action methods.

10

- Improving the quality of interventions by updating the project management handbook.

- Reinforcing sector coherence, in addition to the cross-cutting nature of topics set out in

the Director Plan, seeking suitable complementarity between targets and development

results, sectors and instruments.

- Progress shall be required in the reduction of vulnerability in respect of crises, in line

with the proposals of LRRD-Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development, coordinated

together with other development initiatives. Mechanisms of Preparation and Resilience

shall be strengthened for populations exposed to risks and the coordination and

complementarity of actions between the Humanitarian Action Office and the

development directorates of AECID shall be boosted. There will also be an integration of

the preparation approaches for emergency responses of the Spanish system against

crises caused by natural disasters with the preparation of a Contingency Plan.

- Finally, scholarship programmes of AECID shall be reassessed to become more compact

and provide higher quality programmes.

SG3: Building more strategic relations with other cooperation stakeholders AECID must redefine its role in the transition from being a mere funder to being a facilitator and

connector linking development needs to the offer available from Spanish Cooperation. In short,

the goal is to place the focus on its contribution to development processes; fostering the

participation of the various stakeholders in resolving ever-more complex development

challenges, providing new working methods more rooted in horizontal networks and

structures and knowledge exchange, and a greater dialogue ability and impact on policies in

partner countries.

With this goal in mind, its collaboration profile with cooperation stakeholders needs to be

redefined. This requires, on the one hand, building more strategic relations with traditional

partners and, on the other, finding collaboration areas with new stakeholders and seeking

synergies with other donors and private partners to leverage new resources:

- With the institutions of the European Union, with other Member States and other

Agencies of States outside the EU, the Agency must create closer cooperation channels

providing greater continuity and looking for increasing synergies (reimbursable financial

aid, delegated cooperation, blending operations, joint programming, etc.).

- With NGODs, positioned as prime partners given their abilities to mobilise society and

to access and relate to civil societies in the South, it is necessary to open dialogues to

seek new joint work approaches going beyond financing alone and to review the

existing support mechanisms.

11

- With the private business sector, endeavours should concentrate on making this sector

an ally in the promotion of human development. These measures involve intensive

efforts in areas like communication, training, joint initiatives and alliances to raise the

awareness of the private sector and develop its potential to contribute to human

development and, in turn, for the remaining stakeholders of the sector to dialogue and

work jointly with the private business sector.

- With Multilateral Development Bodies, the Agency shall consolidate its policy of

concentrating its contributions on bodies regarded as having a greater strategic value

for our cooperation efforts, and it shall reinforce its monitoring activities of

contributions already made.

- AECID shall keep up its collaboration with universities and to achieve this, a consensus

strategy is required to capitalise and supplement the experience of AECID and

Universities in the scope of scientific and educational cooperation for development.

- Fostering new work and coordination areas and/or strengthening pre-existing

relationships with Spanish stakeholders in the management arena, both at the

headquarters and in partner countries (including the Stable Coordination Groups) to

create synergies, set innovative initiatives in motion and take part jointly in

implementation processes of the IV DP.

- AECID, through the Humanitarian Action Office, shall be responsible for the

coordination and leadership of Spanish Humanitarian Action, fostering the association

with relevant humanitarian partners, donors, international agencies, specialised non-

governmental organisations, Spanish local, regional and state authorities, both in

contexts impacted by humanitarian crises and in international and regional

humanitarian forums.

SG4: Progressing in the implementation of results-based management and

learning

Applying efficiency principles means adapting the method of intervention, recognising the

leadership of the partner country in a necessary framework of coordination of donors and

focusing actions on the achievement of development results. In this endeavour, the Agency

must progress in the implementation of a management model based on results, thereby

consolidating strategic planning processes and the operations of the organisation.

The Agency aspires to become an organisation improving its management through learning,

monitoring and assessment of its actions. And the following is needed to achieve this:

- Setting up a results-oriented follow-up system for all actions of the Agency

- Improving the capabilities of the organisation for the management of assessment functions

12

- Linking follow-up and assessment information to decision-taking (including budgetary

assignment and incentives for compliance with targets), increasingly resorting to an

evidence basis

- Initiating the design of a knowledge management system allowing feedback to be

provided on processes, the exchange of experiences and the distribution of knowledge

within the organisation, based on the lessons learned from the launch of pilot

initiatives. Furthermore, the most must be made of current transversal working groups

(such as the Sector Expert Networks) as places to generate and disseminate knowledge

of AECID and other stakeholders, to foster other spaces as required and to create

the foundations for the creation of a unit entrusted with promoting the

management and exchange of knowledge. In any case, the use of new

technologies in this area is essential.

SG5: Adjusting the capabilities of the organisation to challenges

In order to face the challenges lying ahead, the Agency must lean on the capabilities of the

organisation, capitalising on existing skills and progressively creating resources it does not

currently have.

AECID must be capable of appropriately taking advantage of the experience accrued by each

person and collective in their professional lives and, over the course of this Plan, it must foster

actions benefitting specialisation, flexibility and mobility of human resources and professional

development.

The steps required to reach this target, in agreement with the current budgetary framework, are the following:

- Reviewing the organic structure to respond better to new challenges facing AECID. In

this regard, a new restructuring of External Cooperation Units (ECUs) shall be

completed, consistent with geographical priorities and budgetary possibilities: in some

cases, ECUs shall be closed and in others these units shall be redesigned to take on

new duties including, for instance, regional issues, international public assets or

offering services (training, innovation centres or ideas laboratories).

- Completing a functional redesign of AECID, rationalising the relationship between

human and economic resources and completing a redistribution of posts and roles

according to the priorities established.

- Implementing measures in Human Resources to foster a professional career, providing

a definition of profiles and contents of the roles depending on the competencies and

tasks assigned, linking training actions and improvement of capabilities to operational

processes, adjusting staff to new challenges and boosting temporary exchanges of staff

between the headquarters and the cooperation units abroad, in addition to exchanges

between AECID and international bodies or other donors.

13

- Management of the organisation shall integrate the design and set-up of a performance

assessment system, linked to progress and achievements in the compliance with SP

results.

- Improving the management of cultural services to continue providing a quality service

to the increasing number of library users. It is also essential to distribute AECID

publications using the communication channels available for this purpose, and mostly

via the website.

- Insofar as reimbursable cooperation is concerned and given the significant volume of

these financial resources, human resources and the capabilities at the relevant units

need to be bolstered, both at central headquarters and the ECUs which are expected to

take on a significant part of this task.

- The effective and appropriate management of resources handed over by other donors

(delegated cooperation) requires the adjustment of administrative and management

procedures.

- Finally, in the framework of a policy targeted at containing public spending, the

generation of additional funds (own funds) above the allocations of the General State

Budget, set forth in Law 8/2006 on State Agencies, and also in AECID’s Statute,

including both public or private sources, shall have greater bearing in the

resources of AECID. Having own funds will allow an increase in the scope of actions of

the Agency, in particular in low income countries and in respect of the most vulnerable

populations. All activities proposed shall therefore be in the framework of the mission

and strategies of AECID. In any event, the achievement of substantial revenue involves a

significant and sustained institutional effort over several years, and this means that this

development shall be proposed as medium to long-term process, with benefits that

shall probably not be visible in the immediate future.

SG6: Attaining a more cohesive and coordinated organisation

AECID must be an organisation with a sole working culture, where the various units pursue a

sole vision and common results, with similar and clearly defined criteria and guidelines. The

essential elements to improve internal cohesion are the following:

- Defining strategic processes (core and supporting processes) enabling coordinated and

effective implementation of operations, starting with processes requiring high levels of

coordination among units: management of the intervention cycle (for instance, direct

interventions through NGODs or multilateral organisations), strategic and operative

planning, management of information and internal and external communication.

- Drafting guidelines, methodology guides and standardised procedures for all AECID

units to focus their management and decision taking.

14

- Strengthening horizontal work structures capable of fostering coordination and creating

a common vision, involving headquarters and field staff with the purpose of leveraging

and additionally delivering the full potential of ECU staff knowledge, as is the positive

case of the Network of Sector Experts.

- The implementation of a unified information and management system endowing AECID

with new skills to gather aggregated real-time information.

- Finally, the appropriateness of setting up coordination areas between both action areas

of the Agency shall be assessed, in particular linking the humanitarian and development

areas or connecting cultural action and development or among various instruments.

SG7: Improving communication with citizens on development,

cooperation and the Agency

For the Agency’s mission to be successful, an essential prerequisite is that citizens are

committed to cooperation for development, critical of inequalities and international injustice

and demanding in respect of public policies dealing with these issues. In line with the above,

AECID shall continue to contribute to generating citizens’ awareness on the relevance of

development, whether directly or via alliances with strategic partners (NGODs, other Ministries,

Universities, Autonomous Regions, etc.).

Thought would need to be devoted to reinforcing activities of AECID in this arena, and the fruit

borne by such efforts shall be the drafting and set up of an Education for Development Action

Plan (EfD).

In this connection and to progress with the effectiveness agenda, AECID will need a take a

significant leap forward to increase its transparency and improve accountability. In this period, it

is essential to create closer links with Spanish public opinion and that of the partner countries in

relation to actions carried out by AECID. The following measures are required to make this

happen:

- Designing and implementing an integrated communication plan of AECID including, among

other issues, the renewal of the contents and presentation of the website and electronic

office of AECID, in addition to providing more updated information on the activities of

AECID, and the results achieved. The plan shall deal with the improvement of

communication with partner countries including measures such as translation into other

languages of a growing amount of contents.

- Drafting an annual report on AECID’s activities, including relevant information for the

follow-up of the current Strategic Plan.

- Defining and setting up a measures plan to make progress in transparency and incorporate

the measures set forth in Law 19/2013, on transparency, access to public information and

good governance, for any aspects connected with AECID.

- Making progress in accountability towards partner countries in the framework of common

15

areas of monitoring and information which already existed or which may be created in

future, where necessary, and additionally in respect of Spanish society, both through

general communication mechanisms and through the established legislative and

consultative bodies.

SG8: Improving efficiency and coordination of cultural actions abroad and

cultural and scientific cooperation in the scope of international relations

Article 5, paragraph 13, of the Statute of AECID sets forth the competencies concerning

promotion of cultural and scientific relations abroad, to implement functions and competencies

attributed to MAEC for fostering and developing cultural and scientific relationships with other

countries.

Therefore, AECID shall foster effective and quality management throughout the extensive

network of Embassies, Consulates and Cultural Centres abroad, promoting public-private

alliances and coordination with other Spanish bodies with competencies concerning the

promotion of culture, education and science abroad.

The coordination and follow-up of cultural and scientific relationships with other countries shall

be improved, through interlocution with the Ministries, Embassies and Competent Bodies to

beef up the contents of existing agreements and to initiate new instruments with other

countries. Meanwhile, stable interlocution shall take place in connection with science affairs

with a certain number of countries regarded as core partners to support the internationalisation

of the Spanish System of Science, Technology and Innovation.

4. IMPLEMENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP

AECID, like any other international cooperation entity, carries out its management mostly in

two working areas, which are differentiated and complementary at the same time:

- Area of development objectives and humanitarian action: management in relation to

the cooperation for development and humanitarian action strategies and interventions

carried out by AECID in the countries where its actions take place;

- Area of management objectives: management in relation to the very institutional

strategy of AECID, focusing on improvement aspects and internal change initiatives

within the organisation itself.

16

In the first area, planning and implementation tools are mostly the Programmes

(country/regional or theme-based) and the interventions. Monitoring actions of AECID shall

take place considering two elements: budgetary implementation and the achievement of

results. Monitoring of Programmes shall be completed on an annual basis and the frequency

provided for interventions may be greater.

As far as management objectives are concerned, the Strategic Plan is the main planning tool.

The Plan shall be implemented through initiatives and actions set up by the various units, both

at the headquarters and on the field, to contribute to attaining results and strategic guidelines.

Annual planning of the main actions and deliverables completed by the units to make progress

towards the achievement of results and also the persons in charge of such actions shall be the

basis of AECID’s Annual Action Plan.

The follow-up of the SP takes place on two levels:

- A first strategic level consisting of following up a selection of indicators (scorecard)

regarded as the most relevant. This shall be completed on a yearly basis by the

Management Committee. In some cases, progress reports provided by indicators shall

be supplemented with quantitative analyses allowing supplementary information to be

gathered, in addition to that obtained employing quantitative indicator measurements.

- The second level is operational, and shall be associated to actions completed with the

delivery of the products defined in the annual plans. Assessment by the Management

Committee shall take place twice a year.

These guidelines to monitor actions of AECID shall be defined in detail in the integrated system

to monitor results, which is in its final design stage at the time of publication of this document.

Following the completion of the planned period, the coverage of each of the strategic plans

shall be evaluated through a final assessment.

5. RESOURCES

As provided in the section on Context, this Plan is drafted in the framework of a period of

containment of public spending and significant budgetary cuts and the starting human and

budgetary resources have witnessed reductions in respect of previous years. This context

means that special emphasis must be placed on management.

In order to face these challenges and make progress in attaining its vision, AECID shall base its

efforts on its own capabilities and at the same time generate new capabilities in a planned and

progressive way. With this goal in mind, strategic guideline 5 includes the main measures that

the Agency plans to carry out.

17

As for economic resources, as we pointed out above, AECID is not only responsible for the

budget assigned to it directly but also for implementing the administrative actions

connected with the management of funds allocated to the budgets of the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Fund for Promotion of Development, FONPRODE, and

Fund for Water and Sanitation, FCAS).

Also noteworthy is the fact that AECID is endeavouring to intensify its contacts with the

European Union and other member countries to position itself as a manager, in the role of

delegate or attorney of the main donors, for funds devoted to implementation by such

organisations in countries where Spanish cooperation operations allows such activities to take

place. To date, most of these delegated cooperation activities with the Commission are taking

place in Latin America and the Caribbean, although an extension of such actions to other areas

is expected.

On today’s date, the amount of operations (including delegated cooperation and blending)

approved which involve the management of funds of the European Commission amounts to

€111m. These operations shall be implemented in the years in which the Plan is in force.

In short, most of AECID’s resources are approved annually in the General State Budget (GSB).

Every year, following the approval of the GSB the Annual Action Plan is completed to adjust

actions to the available resources.

6. RISK FACTORS

A series of risks could compromise the success of this Strategic Plan of AECID and the

compliance with the objectives described:

Budgetary Risks: the reduction of transfers of MAEC to the Agency could impact the

degree of compliance with the plan.

Risks associated to management efforts. The degree of compliance of strategic

guidelines and the implementation of the above largely hinges on the leadership

abilities of management to set up and monitor the guidelines.

Political risks. A change of political priorities and its reflection in budgetary issues and

strategic orientation could affect the implementation of this Plan and condition its

future amendment.

Risks associated with the situation in partner countries. Changes in aspects arising out

of national or international crises involving a deterioration of security or the political

outlook of AECID’s partner countries could condition the framework in which the

measures of this Plan are implemented and the compliance with the above.

7. RESULTS FRAMEWORK

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES (SG) AND MANAGEMENT RESULTS (MR)

Indicators Base line

Goal 2017

SG1. Concentrating AECID’s actions to improve its effectiveness

% gross bilateral ODA managed by AECID located geographically in the association countries of the IV DP

57%

80%

MR 1.1. AECID focuses its cooperation programme geographically

MR 1.2. Country-programmes (and regional programmes) of AECID in association countries enjoy high levels of concentration of results for development and interventions

MR 1.3. AECID, within the scope of humanitarian action, shall gain greater focus of activities

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES (SG) AND MANAGEMENT RESULTS (MR)

Indicators Base line

Goal 2017

OE2. Designing and implementing differentiated action strategies with greater quality and impact

% of association countries completing the OP

0% 100% (23)

New association agreements with medium-to-high income countries negotiated and launched

0

7

% bilateral direct ODA managed by AECID 32% 50%

MR 2.1. Differentiated planning is drawn up in the countries and regions in which AECID works

MR 2.2. There is an improvement of coherence and the use of methods / instruments and their complementarity in Agency programmes

MR 2.3. AECID launches a quality control process of its interventions

19

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES (SG) AND MANAGEMENT RESULTS (MR)

Indicators

Base line

Goal 2017

SG3. Building more strategic relationships with cooperation stakeholders

(Cumulative) number of initiatives launched with the private business sector

3

25

Creation of a Mechanism (common fund) allowing coordinated contributions by Autonomous Regions to financing of HAO 0 1

MR 3.1. The work of the Agency with NGODs is part of a working framework created with their participation

MR 3.2. AECID establishes a relationship framework with the private business sector to achieve their collaboration in fostering human development

MR 3.3. Working relationships with the European Commission and the Member States are reinforced

MR 3.4. AECID intensifies coordination efforts of humanitarian aid with Autonomous Regions and Local Authorities

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES (SG) AND MANAGEMENT RESULTS (MR)

Indicators Base line

Goal 2017

SG4. Progressing in the implementation of results-oriented management and learning

% of association countries where the OP follow-up report is completed

0%

100%

MR 4.1. AECID integrates monitoring of its management and decision taking

MR 4.2. The strategic management of assessments managed by AECID is improved together with its integration in decision taking

MR 4.3. AECID lays the foundations for a knowledge-management system in the organisation

20

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES (SG) AND

MANAGEMENT RESULTS (MR)

Indicators

Base line

Goal 2017

SG5. Adapting the capabilities of the organisation to challenges

Number of ECUs closed 5 21

No. of hours/person of training per year of technical staff on courses relating to processes for improvement and new management tools

15

MR 5.1. The organisational structure of AECID adjusts to needs and challenges

MR 5.2. HR management at AECID fosters the acquisition of capabilities, performance management and the consolidation of a professional career

MR 5.3. AECID diversifies its sources of income

MR 5.4. AECID implements strategic management of its cultural services

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES (SG) AND MANAGEMENT RESULTS (MR)

Indicators Base line

Goal 2017

SG6. Attaining a more cohesive and coordinated organisation

Processes included in the Integrated Information System

8

20

MR 6.1. AECID has an information system suited to organisational requirements and allowing integrated management of processes

MR 6.2. AECID units operate on the basis of standardised procedures, guidelines and methodology guides

MR 6.3. Consolidation of the operation of horizontal working groups and Networks of Sector Experts

21

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES (SG) AND MANAGEMENT RESULTS (MR)

Indicators Base line

Goal2017

SG7. Improving communication with citizens on development, cooperation and the Agency

Annual report published every year

1

4

% of Transparency Plan measures put in practice

0% 100%

MR 7.1 There is an improvement of quality and transparency of information on the strategies and performance of cooperation for development led by AECID

MR 7.2. The Education for Development action plan is implemented

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES (SG) AND MANAGEMENT RESULTS (MR)

Indicators Base line

Goal 2017

SG8. Improving efficiency and coordination of cultural actions abroad and cultural and science cooperation in the scope of international relations

Number of Collaboration Agreements signed with public and private institutions, whether Spanish or foreign, concerning cultural activities for the development of joint activities

26

35

Number of Embassies with which stable interlocution is attained on science topics

5 20

MR 8.1. There is an improvement of efficiency in the management of the presence of Spain in international cultural activities

MR 8.2. There is improvement of the coordination and monitoring of cultural, educational and scientific relationships with other countries